Happily Ever After...Right!
by Tasie
Summary: The sleeping princess opens her eyes and...punches the prince! This is your average fariytale gone haywire. There are no damsels in distresses in this story, and Happily Ever After is totally overrated. Read to find out more.
1. Only the beginning...

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Deal.  
  
Author's Notes: Okay fair warning to all that read this fic. I am not held responsible for your reactions this. I know that at first glance this seems like your typical fairy tale, so not. I am putting my own cynical twist to the fairy kingdom and the Sailor Moon world. Be Afraid.  
  
Be Very Afraid.*waves* toodles.  
  
Happily Ever After........right!  
  
Prologue  
  
In a castle completely surrounded by countless thorns and vines , the fearless prince using his trusty sword slashed and cut his way towards the palace entrance. Having defeated the horrid dragon and evil witch and triumphing over peril after peril to reach his long awaited prize : the fair princess , who lay sleeping in wake for his victorious arrival. Jumping hazardously over the sleeping servants he raced up the stairs to deliver true love's kiss upon her fair rosy lips. Having finally reached his destination the chamber door creaked from lack of use, as he slowly opened the door as if to wake the resting royal that laid within. Walking into her chambers he gazed upon his prize ; luxuriously long golden hair spilled over the bed and onto the floor, as her chest rose and fell with each breath she took. His eyes soon wandered. Gazing upon the tiny waist that would soon bare him many heirs, his eyes settled upon her pouty red lips that expelled and received breath from her  
body and positively begged to be kissed. Brushing his curly princely tresses from his face, he bent down so he was a breath away and laid his lips upon hers and delivered a kiss. Feeling her eyes begin to flutter against his cheek he pulled away to gazed into the eyes of his soon to be queen. Expecting to see gratitude and complete adoration in her eyes he saw a pair of shocked sky blue eyes, so clear a man could drown and never want to resurface, shaking his head to clear his thoughts he began to play the part of the gallant prince once again.  
  
Shock however quickly turned to fury. Completely oblivious to the princess's change of mood the prince was met with a most surprising and unexpected sight: her fist aiming for his jaw.  
  
Having knocked some sense into the `gallant' prince, the former Sleeping Beauty began berating him verbally for his previous actions.  
  
"How dare you!!" ` Who knew such a small thing could be so loud?' he thought. " But fair maiden" he started. `Oh great he's going to start with the maiden routine' she thought. " You were under an evil spell cast by a wicked witch." He sighed in exasperation." After all I've been through , you must be my bride."  
  
She eyebrows immediately rose `This ought to be interesting.' She would humor the prince  
  
" Why must I, your highness? Because you broke into my palace, entered my chambers without my permission and disturbed me from a very pleasant slumber" she kept her voice cheery throughout the entire sarcastic statement. Obviously the prince didn't know the what sarcasm was.  
  
" Well simply my dear, you can't possibly be smart enough to rule a kingdom by yourself. It was after all for your own good." `Okay' she decided `this is not funny anymore!' Pride quickly took over sarcasm.  
  
" What is illegal for a girl to take a nap without some horny excuse for a prince trying to jump her bones!?!" Her voice had started out falsely calm before erupting to a higher octave in her anger. He really wished she speak in a tone more appropriate for his future wife. His ear drums were starting to ring. Yet still she continued her tirade.  
  
"You should be ashamed of yourself! Taking advantage of a poor defenseless girl like me! You self righteous cad!!" He had had enough of her insolent tongue. He was a man and she but a girl, who was she to judge him? Preparing to put her in her place he was caught unaware by the `poor defenseless' girl's mean right hook. Delivering a more powerful punch in hopes of knocking the `heroic' prince out she aimed for his eye and watched in satisfaction as she noticed the swelling in both areas she "rewarded" the prince in as he fell to the wooden floor. She then stomped out of her chambers leaving an unconscious and partially bruised prince in her wake.  
  
Noticing all the servants had yet to awaken, she tiptoed past them and using her knowledge of the castle's secret passage ways, she found her way outside the palace and right within the palace gates. She was so close to freedom.  
  
Getting out was easy; it was getting away that was the hard part. Looking around she noticed `her' prince's strong steed which he'd left unguarded in his haste to `rescue' her. Honestly what was with men, did they all have a warped `Prince Charming/ Caveman Complex'. Instantly a mischievous idea came to her mind. `If the `valiant prince is so hell bent on helping he won't mind if I borrow his horse!' Walking slowly as not to frighten the creature her hand gently smoothed the fine hair of its mane in calming stokes. After a couple of moments she giggled as the horse licked her hand and gave her a face a gentle nuzzle. Taking that as a sign of acceptance, she quickly mounted the pure white steed and placed herself in a very unprincess like position atop the horse . Gaining consciousness the prince ran down the stairs past the just waking servants to see `his' princess and his horse about to ride off into the sunset. Hearing the sound of footsteps she turned to see that her  
`heroic' prince had finally awoken from his "pleasant" nap and was staring at her in shock and anger. Sitting astride his manly horse she waved cheerfully to the prince and blew him a kiss after winking. Giving him a smug smile, she bowed mockingly at his highness and realizing that in all the time it had taken for her to win the stallion's trust she had forgotten about those who were awakening which also consisted of her extremely conventional royal parents, who would not think twice about signing her life over to the condescending prince. Her eyes widened as she heard the first signs of what had to be her parents revival; shouting. Panicking she turned the horse around to the now cleared exit, courtesy of the prince, and preceded to gallop away on what was his best and favorite horse in all of his many royal stables after making sure to salute him, of course.  
  
As the fair princess rode out of the castle gates and towards the unknown lands beyond only one thought crossed her royal mind, while the wind swept through her golden locks and caressed her face with reckless abandon `Adventure Here I Come!!!'  
  
And that ladies and gentlemen this not the end but it just the beginning...  
  
AN: This fic was born out of my incurable need to be contrary and different. I got so sick of the fairy tales where `the prince rescues the princess with a kiss and sweeps her off her feet and they live happily ever after' Who the hell does that happen to in real life?! I mean really how many of us wouldn't punch some stranger who decides to sneak into your room and wake you with a kiss? That you didn't know!?!  
  
I don't know maybe it's just me ;) Anyway I hope you enjoyed it or hated it! Either way review or email me and tell me! I really love hearing from you!  
  
SO MANY DEMENTED LITTLE HAPPY FACES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	2. Who need dwarfs?

AN: THANK YOU!!!!! Wow. I did not expect that much. I had actually removed this fic due to lack of reviews and then I decided to re-upload it. And it turns out that it was a good thing! Thank you to all those that reviewed and I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
  
Who needs dwarfs…  
  
The beautiful princess hair fell in a curtain behind her as she rode swiftly down the main road trying to get as far away from the palace of oppression as she could. She continued the high-speed gallop and only after she was convinced that she was a safe ( and far!) distance away from the castle did she stop to dismount. Climbing down off the horse she decided to see exactly what the idiotic prince had packed for his gallant rescue of her. Looking inside she noticed the extra clothes ( silk, only the best of course ), food and an extremely large amount of money. Along with a very large dagger that would definitely come in handy in the future. Taking a mental survey of all the items she analyzed her options and heaved a sigh.  
  
She really didn't want to do this but it looked like the only option that would throw off any investigations into her 'disappearance'.  
  
Leading the steed off the main road and deep into the forest, ducking and weaving her way through the many branches and leaves in the path. She let the horse lead as she was completely captivated by the beauty of the land. She had never seen anything this stunning, especially in the palace. Everything and everyone in the palace were always so artificial and materialistic. They only cared for themselves and how they could achieve more power. Snapping out of her musings as her horse stopped in a little clearing. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she searched the area for any sign of a peeping tom or potential threat.  
  
She put her plan into action.  
  
Undressing quickly she rid herself of her royal gown and grabbed the first thing in the bag, putting it on without looking at it , before taking the dagger out of the saddle bag. The metal blade glinted in the light of the dying sun. The ivory stallion grew unease at the sight of the dagger and began neighing in protest. She laid a calming hand on the horse's snout and turned her back to it with the dress in her hands, as to not frighten the creature any more with the object's presence .  
  
Slashing at the delicate material with ease, she winced at every cut thread, and soon the once glamorous gown was a ball of barely recognizable fabric. She silently mourned the lost of what was one of her favorite outfits. 'Oh well', she thought depressed, 'Sacrifices must be made!'  
  
Sighting some red berries a slight distance away she walked towards the bush and plucked about fifteen berries from it. Smashing the berries up she smeared the juices on the former dress; she placed it in all the areas she had slashed at. Heading back to the main road, using the unused berries as markers , she dropped the 'dress' in the dirt for good measure and mounted the horse riding deeper into the woods than before.  
  
After getting on the horse she finally realized what she had so hurriedly garbed. She was now wearing a pair of breeches and an oversized shirt; the shirt itself was practically hanging off her petite form . She reached once again into the bag and rummaged inside for something she knew would come in handy. Pulling out a hooded cape she hurriedly donned it. She vaguely wondered if anyone had seen her and then realized that it didn't really matter anyway. It was obvious she was in an isolated area and if someone saw her then she would take care of it; physically. One of the things she did have to worry about was her hair. In all the land she had been known for her hair, so she needed a hairstyle that was original, symbolized her freedom and was something a princess would never be seen in. Her mind wandered while her hands went to work. A few minutes later her hands were tired and her hair had settled into two buns.  
  
Facing her head to the sky she could feel the warm rays of the sun shining down on her and she reveled in the feeling. 'This is absolutely exquisite!' she thought thrilled with the thought to finally being on her own and having complete control over her life. She dreamily dwelled on the idea of what she would do with her life now. After all if her plan worked than everyone would think that she had been slayed and nobody would even bother looking for her. It was crude and slightly cruel but it was entirely necessary. It was her life and she would lead it the way she wanted to. The horse's stride never faltered and she was allowed to drift in her own thoughts. It wasn't as if her parents were horrible it was that they were …dull. And terribly old-fashioned. They thought that it was just a woman's job to get married and bear an heir, that was it. She just didn't see things the way her parents and the snobs of the court did. With them it was all about, the right clothes and the right image and the way she should project herself as a princess. She just wasn't interested in that life.  
  
She was once again brought out of her thoughts by the neighing of her steed. The horse reared and she held tight onto the reins to stay on . Once she had gotten the horse under control she glanced over the horse's head to see what had alarmed the creature so. She stared in shock at the scene in front of her.  
  
Laying on a slap of glass surrounded by a bunch of men, 7 very short; almost dwarflike and one tall and obviously princely, judging by his looks, was a very pretty woman of about her age that had skin as white as snow and hair the color of ebony, cut to her shoulders. The golden haired princess couldn't help but wonder if she'd look better with a longer hairstyle. The prince's head began it's descend she knew instantly what his intentions were. She rolled her eyes at that thought. Were all the princes in the world always trying to grope some poor defenseless girl, riding closer to the scene she spoke calmly and clearly.  
  
"What the hell do you think you are doing!?!" maybe not so calmly…  
  
The prince's head jerked up in surprise and he was greeted to the sight a stunning figure on an ivory steed silhouetted by the sunlight, immediately thinking it was another prince he decided to hurry if he wanted to wake the ebony haired, ruby lipped princess up and carry her away to his palace, before this other guy did, where they would live happily ever after…  
  
Off in his delusional world of ever afters, he never saw the foot that connected with his stomach but he did feel it. The pain was instant and he crumbled to the ground in a heap, the dwarfs surrounded him defensively and he watched as the figure descended off the horse and walked towards 'his' fair maiden. Looking at the figure more closely he hadn't noticed the slight but curvaceous body beneath the cape , and glimpsed a view of the glorious golden mass that was her hair. He took all this in while she walked slowly over to the dormant princess. Bending down she placed her hand on the wrist and felt for a pulse. The prince stayed on the ground where he had landed, curious as to what this woman would do. Finding a pulse, she decided that if the woman laying resting was anything like her she'd appreciate what she had saved her from.  
  
She sent a silent apology to the sleeping girl for what she was about to do. Growing impatient the prince finally spoke his first words to this almost wordless stranger.  
  
" What do you think you can do ,woman?" he spoke in a condescending tone and called her 'woman' as if it was an insult.  
  
It was obvious that all the Prince Charmings were breed for arrogance.  
  
She ignored his snide tone and smug smile and bent her head down closer to the woman and lightly slapped her.  
  
"OW!" Or not. The ebony haired woman shrieked at the sudden pain and shot up from her makeshift bed. She tenderly rubbed her ill-treated cheek while shooting the woman standing over her a glare promising pain. The golden haired princess merely smiled in amusement and watched as the once resting woman swung her legs around to stand on the ground and nearly fell. Using her quick reflexes she caught her and helped her right herself up before watching as the damsel in distress scrutinized her. The ebony haired princess' eyes trailed over her features slowly and she vaguely wondered what she thought of her. 'Let's see…' she thought lazily ' fine facial features, long golden hair, big blue eyes. She looks nice and is that guy leering at me…' she contemplated as her vision shifted to the prince as his gaze switched between herself and the golden haired beauty.  
  
Indignation immediately filled her as she remembered that girl, no matter how nice or pretty, had slapped her! The golden haired princess was shocked to be greeted to a pair of very fiery looking amethyst colored eyes. Surprised by not only the color but the intensity of the eyes she didn't really hear what the woman begin her rant and only dimly heard the end  
  
"…AND NEVER BEEN TREATED IN SUCH A MANNER IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!" she gently rubbed her ears and wondered if this was how her 'savior' had felt.  
  
'Oh great Now I'm starting to feel bad!' That was all she needed, and it was all this woman's fault. The woman waited in expectation for her reply to her comments. 'Well…' she thought with an evil grin on her face, ' I've never been one to disappoint.'  
  
" Are you married?" the ebony haired one was surprised by the question and hesitant to answer but realizing it would be rude not to she did. "No."  
  
The golden one smiled and made another inquiry. " Do you enjoy being kissed by strangers?" she again retained her calm, patient smile. Getting confused but nonetheless intrigued by the questioning she answered again in a proud tone befitting a princess. " Of course, I do not! It is improper and not at all ladylike." She had to physically control herself from rolling her eyes at that last comment. Biting her lip to prevent from saying any thing offensive, she asked her last question.  
  
" Would you marry any prince of the street?" again the ebony haired one huffed indignantly and looked about to reply but she didn't get the chance because she was interrupted The golden one took her reaction as a no and said in a satisfied tone. "Than you should be thanking me!" 'Honestly! People today!'  
  
She continued, " If it wasn't for me you probably would've been awoken a bit more 'physically', if you know what I mean?" Her amethyst eyes widened in realization as her eyes settled on 'her' prince charming. Struggling to regain some semblance of dignity she did the first thing that came to mind and blew a raspberry at her. Amused by the action the golden haired one laughed and watched as the ebony haired one's face reddened in embarrassment. ' I can't believe I did that', she thought completely mortified by her actions, 'I can not believe I did something so childish, so juvenile, so…fun!' And soon enough she joined in the golden one's laughter and her amethyst eyes widened and she stared in wonder at the woman in front of her. All of her life she had been taught to be polite and sweet…it was getting on her nerves. This person, this woman allowed her to express herself in away that wasn't the way a princess was supposed to act. Being around her made her feel…free. Looking at the prince whom was gazing at her in a way she'd rather not comprehend, she observed the woman as she walked back to her horse and ascended. Her stride had been one of royalty, so she vaguely wondered if she was a princess like herself and if so why was alone and riding a horse astride like a man.  
  
Before she could stop herself she asked the golden one where she was going. She watched as consideration flashed across her features and a beautiful smile settled on her face. That smile made her feel warm and happy inside, something she hadn't felt for a while.  
  
" I really don't know but…" she smiled even wider at the ebony one "…your welcome to come along. Unless of course you'd rather stay with him!" she jerked her finger in the direction of the prince. She took one glance at him and made a rather quick decision. She grabbed the outstretched hand and swung herself on the horse behind the woman.  
  
"Oh, by the way, I just realized I don't know your name. I'm Sleeping Beauty but call me Sere" the golden one reached behind her to shake hands with her new companion. Confused but grabbing her hand to be polite she said " I'm most commonly known as Snow White, but I've always hated that name it's so…" she tried to find the right word for it but out Sere's outburst solved that problem.  
  
"Silly!" she looked up surprised at the word but finding it…right. "Yeah. It just sounds so silly and I think I need a new name to go with my new life! "she exclaimed. Sere nodded thoughtfully and consider the situation.  
  
"Raye!" the name was completely out of the blue and the ebony one looked at her confused.  
  
"What?" she questioned.  
  
"I think your new name should be Raye." Sere spoke slowly as if speaking to a child. She ignored Sere's patronizing tone and asked. "Why?"  
  
"I don't know . It just came to me and for some reason and when I look at you I see a Raye!" she explained kind of bewildered herself at her justification.  
  
" Sounds good to me!" Raye had never felt so emancipated and impulsive, it was a good feeling.  
  
" Hey!" the prince protested loudly " What about me?! I'm the prince I should be riding off into the sunset with her!" Both girls were getting the distinct impression that he was going to stomping his feet soon. The golden haired one winked at him while the ebony haired one sent an apologetic smile in his direction.  
  
"I'm sorry…" she trailed " but I'm just not ready for that type of relationship!" she finished in a yell as Sere had already started the horse in a trot and was building to a gallop. Raye watched horrified as the cloud of dust engulfed the angered prince.  
  
Turning forward in the shared saddle she addressed the driver with a reprimanding tone.  
  
" That was very rude of you!"  
  
Tossing her head back Sere replied in a nonchalant voice," Ask me if I care?" Raye gasped shocked at her companion's lack of concern or manners. Hearing the gasp, Sere unconsciously rolled her eyes and halted the horse. Turning around in the saddle and she spoke softly, hoping to make Raye understand her perspective.  
  
"Listen. I ran away from home to escape a future with a guy just like him." She tried to pick her words very carefully before she spoke. " I have never been like most girls. I never wanted to find my prince charming and get married so… when I saw the opportunity to take my life in my hands, I did. When I saw you lying there, in the same situation that I was in. I thought I could help her because maybe she's like me and wants to escape too." She stopped for a moment so that Raye could take in fully what she just said before continuing. " Hey", she started," If you want me to take you back to your prince I will. But just remember whatever you do it's your choice." She waited for Raye's reply.  
  
Raye sat in the saddle staring at any random spot and contemplating what to do. She had been practically dead on the slap of stone and now she had her entire life to live, another chance to live, did she really want to waste it away in another palace. For once Raye didn't think with her head, she thought with her heart and the message was very clear.  
  
" So…where ever we're going we better get there before sundown. We still have to build a fire and set up a camp." Surprised at that response, Sere smiled happily.  
  
"You sure, you don't want to stay with Prince Charming and the dwarfs?" she asked mockingly. Raye looked at her and saw the teasing light in her new found friends face.  
  
"Who needs dwarfs?" she said in her own bantering way. Sere could already tell that this was definitely gonna work out. She told Raye to hold on while she urged the horse into gallop and raced down through the forest as quickly as she could but this time with company.  
  
  
  
AN: This is the second installment of HEAR and I hope you enjoyed it. If you can't tell who's who in this chapter, you are not a true Sailor Moon fan!!! Now I want all you beautiful people to click on the nice little box in the corner and tell me what you think of my lame fic!  
  
Don't worry it won't hurt………………………..too much!!!!!  
  
~_^ 


	3. Companions

AN: This is the third installation of Happily Ever After…Right, I am thrilled with the response I received and I really hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Other Sailor Moon characters will appear later in the chapter, this chapter is just gonna focus on the development of Raye's and Sere's friendship and a few trials that they are gonna have to overcome on their journeys.  
  
Companions  
  
"I WANT HER FOUND!!!!" the yell resounded throughout the entire palace as guards from every post scurried to find the missing princess. The sound of feet pounded through the halls as brigades of soldiers in their separate divisions left to investigate the area surrounding the palace. One knight was left alone in the palace with the furious royals. Bowing in respect he waited for his orders from the king and queen. He did not belong to the palace soldiers but was offering his assistance nonetheless. A lock of ivory hair fell into his violet eyes and he wanted desperately to push it back but he did not.  
  
"I would like to go to retrieve the princess as well, your highnesses." The prince spoke, for a moment the knight had thought him mute.  
  
"No" The king made his answer very clear yet the foolish regal persisted.  
  
"But…"  
  
"NO! When my daughter you will be here to marry her!" It was a command and the prince quickly took to pouting. He barely restrained the need to roll his eyes.  
  
"You." It seemed the royals had finally decided to acknowledge his presence. "You are not apart of our kingdom so what have you to gain in helping us find our daughter?" It seemed the king was a suspicious man. 'Good'  
  
"Why, your highness I only want to assure the princess' safety." That wasn't all he wanted to assure but he'd keep that to himself for a while. "Well…" the king seemed hesitant to continue but a jab from his wife forced him to, "you are welcome to help in the retrieval of the princess." With a swirl of his cape he and his wife exited the throne room leaving a pouting prince and a smirking 'knight'. The prince's pout turned to a sneer as he turned to the grinning 'knight'.  
  
"You will not touch my fiancé or I will have your head" the threat was ignored as the 'knight' left the throne room without so much as looking at the prince. Angered at being disregarded he shouted, "HEY!" at the retreating back of the man and stomped his foot, mentally planning what he'd do to the knight when he was king.  
  
The ivory haired man followed the path from the palace to the main road to see troops spread out searching the area. Looking around the vicinity he wandered down the road keeping his eyes open for any indications of the princess. Checking the ground he saw hoof prints in the road, noticing that the prints were lighter than the others, he followed them to a certain part in the road where they ended. On the ground he saw a glimmer of white. Getting off his horse he bent down to reveal the pure white dress that the princess was famous for wearing, tattered and stained in dirt and red. He looked at it suspiciously, checking to see if anyone was watching him he sniffed the red substance on the dress and gave a superior smile.  
  
'Clever little princ8ess'  
  
Seeing the captain of the guard coming to him, he quickly shoved the dress into his saddle bags before reported no findings and was left alone. Staring at the darkening skies he realized there wouldn't be enough time to track her down today. Taking another look at the dress in his bag he mounted his horse and turned around to go back to the palace. He would go back to the palace before deciding his course of action. In the morning he would take steps to find the clever princess. With a conniving grin on his face he raced down the road back to the home of the irate royals.  
  
  
  
The rapid speed of their ride was something Raye wasn't exactly comfortable with and she was bored. Hanging onto Sere's waist wasn't helping much either, there wasn't that much to hang onto. Raye would have voiced her complaints but chose not to when she saw the focused and thoughtful look on Sere's face. What Raye didn't know was that Sere was thinking about her new companion and what they were going to do. Sure with the amount of money that prince 'charming' carried around they could be safe and by a nice little cottage and live happily ever aft… 'NAH!' she shook her head. If she wanted to be safe and boring she would have stayed at the palace. If Sere wanted to be completely honest with herself which she usually was she'd admit that she really didn't know where they were going let alone what they would do. Her first instinct was to ask Raye. After all she wasn't alone anymore so she it was only fair that she consult her on their decisions.  
  
Raye's thoughts weren't far from that of her travel companion. She really wanted to know where they were going and if they possibly had a place where she could properly bath and be fed. After all being practically dead for long periods of time left a girl hungry. Raye was really hesitant to bother Sere but gathering her newfound bravado she asked what had to be the most important question in what was probably going to be an extreme adventure.  
  
" Where are we going?"  
  
Sere's head snapped back as she faced Raye. It was then that Raye realized that Sere was slightly shorter than her. Using her height as an advantage Raye straightened herself as much as she could in the saddle and holding onto, Sere and looked down at her. Sere was not amused.  
  
"Do you honestly think that you are the first person to try and pull height on me?!" Sere asked incredulously. All of her life she had been short did Raye really think that was gonna work with her. Still Raye held her stance and looked down at Sere as if silently demanding an answer. 'Obviously she does' Sere thought shaking her head in amusement and turned forward in the saddle. Where ever they were going it sure as hell wouldn't be boring.  
  
A silence stretched over the two with Sere inwardly laughing and Raye sulking quietly. Taking a glance back Sere felt a little guilty. She hadn't meant to change the mood of the trip and if they didn't speak to each other this adventure was going to be seriously boring. Facing frontward she rolled her eyes she asked resignedly, "Do you really want to know?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Honestly…" Sere said hesitantly, seeing Raye nod she continued unsure of how the other girl would react, " I really don't know where we're going."  
  
  
  
Silence…  
  
…and then the storm  
  
"WHAT!" the scream bounced off the treetops, ground and leaves to surround the unprepared golden one. Clutching the reins and her ears in both her hands she turned around to see Raye with her hands on her hips and looking to be in reprimanding mode, a stance Sere was all too familiar with. She glared annoyed at the smug looking raven haired princess.  
  
"Was that really necessary?!" Sere asked irritated by the current ringing in her ears she was trying to get rid of with her fingers. She knew that she was also loud but having all that noise sent back hurt. She almost felt bad for all the screaming she did to prince charming…then she remember what a humungous ass he'd been and instantly felt better. Unfortunately remembering that event, no matter how pleasant it had been, also brought to light the fact that she didn't' know anything about her companion and she'd didn't know anything about her.  
  
"You know, that's not very ladylike!" It would seem that Raye had gotten to the point of boredom where she felt the need to purposely be annoying…and enjoying it.  
  
"Well I never said I was a lady! Did I?" Sere replied in her own defiant yet condescending way. AN: It can be done! I do it all the time! ^_^  
  
" Well you are obviously not one of good breeding." The haughty response was immediately countered with a sarcastic comment.  
  
"And you are obviously not one of few words."  
  
"How nice of you to notice!" was the proud response was unexpectedly spoken by Raye and Sere wondered what had happened to the meek princess she had saved but there were more important things to be taken care of. When she glanced back and saw her partner's face. It was then she decided the cocky smile on Raye's face had to be eradicated.  
  
'And the spider weaves her web!' she inwardly grinned.  
  
"Kind of hard not to." Sere said keeping her tone as nonchalant as possible.  
  
"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Suspicion was evident in Raye's voice as her smile was quickly replaced with a contemplative frown. Raye didn't know why she was starting a fight but she was bored and it was fun.  
  
'Much better than picking fights with the grumpy dwarf!'  
  
"Take it as you want to, just know that when I insult you you'll know it!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Oh really?" Raye asked arrogantly, " and how is that?"  
  
" Well…" Sere said with a mischievous grin, " I could always call you an overbearing cow or horse or say in that ugly dress you look like an as—"  
  
"How dare you! Who do you think you are?!" Sere rolled her eyes and realized that this conversation wasn't getting them anywhere fast and it was starting to get dark. "Can we finish this battle of the wits a little later", she said, using her head Sere motioned upwards. "It's going to be nightfall soon. And if we don't find a place to stay…" Sere stopped suddenly. "Listen…" Sere tilted her head to the left slightly, Raye watched her in confusion. Sere turned around and smiled at Raye while excitedly saying, "There's water nearby! We can camp there for the night and in the morning we can decide where exactly we're going. Deal?" Raye nodded her head in agreement.  
  
"Good. Than maybe we can finish our argument after the both of us have cleaned up!" Remembering the argument and her behavior Raye instantly felt shame. Keeping her head bowed she waited for Sere to steer the horse into the direction she had heard the water. The trees began to thin out and they were met with the sight of a beautiful crystal clear lake. Dismounting Sere turned around to see Raye still sitting on the saddle looking rather meditative and with a self reprimanding look in her eye.  
  
Sere looked at Raye as she just sat there on the horse, appearing to be beating herself up over something.  
  
Deciding that anything was better than that look on Raye's face Sere took her index finger and poked Raye on the side of her stomach. Startled Raye jumped and fell gracelessly off the back of the horse arms swinging desperately. Sere stared at the place where Raye was and calmly walked around the horse's rear to see Raye laying on the ground surrounded by her skirts, legs spread wide and glaring at the sky, muttering curses in a very unladylike manner. Sere couldn't help it she started laughing… loudly.  
  
Raye's glare was transferred from the sky to the chuckling golden princess. Seeing that her ebony haired companion didn't find the humor in her position Sere swallowed the rest of her laughter and held her hand to help Raye up. Sniffing indignantly Raye ignored the offered appendage and picked herself off the ground and began attempting to wipe the dust off of her dress. After a couple of minutes of looking at all the dirt that now decorated her dress she gave up and crossed her arms with a huff.  
  
After annoyance, indifference moved into her thoughts. 'Oh well! I didn't like this dress anyway!' then another thought occurred to Raye. 'But what am I gonna wear now?!'  
  
Sulking seemed like the only option since Raye wasn't prepared for her sudden attack of impulsiveness that seemed to have been lacking in her life since her birth and looking at the blonde she blamed her for it. Sere watched as Raye seemed to be scowling in her direction she returned the look before walking over to the horse and removing the saddle.  
  
They were lucky. It seemed that the night was going to be warm. Definitely warm enough to take a quick dip in the lake.  
  
Concentrating on the matters at hand were hard when one had someone else boring holes into the back of her head.  
  
'This is really getting irritating!' Sere thought clenching the map in her left hand unconsciously as she felt the violet eyes digging into her skull.  
  
"Are you just gonna stare at the back of my head all night?" she finally asked tired of the silence.  
  
"Maybe." It was obvious someone held grudges.  
  
"Is this about the argument or the little poke I gave you?" Sere asked emphasizing the 'little'.  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
"Well I personally think your taking this way too seriously." Sere turned around to face her. " You looked way too deep in thought and I thought that was the best way to bring you out of." Raye looked at her skeptically.  
  
"That was the best way you could think of!?" Sere shrugged casually.  
  
"And I was bored. If I had thought for one second you would take it so personally I wouldn't have done it." Sere said honestly,  
  
"I'm sorry." Looking into the blue eyes Raye saw that she was genuinely sorry. Shrugging her shoulders she strolled over to the lake and stood there gazing at her reflection. Sere stared at her in disbelief. She had just given her an honest to goodness apology and all she got was a shrug! She twirled around and decided that she should put her annoyance to better use like getting firewood before it got too dark to see. She left Raye to her thoughts and went to complete her task.  
  
Raye could tell that Sere's regret was sincere but that didn't mean she wasn't gonna get her back for it. Princess like behavior be damned! She was after all a girl with honor. She just didn't know how to get revenge yet. It didn't take long for Sere to find suitable wood and when she got back Raye still hadn't moved from her spot by the lake. As soon as Sere set up a fire she went back to the saddle bag and pulled out another set of clothes and set them on the ground while taking a brush out and beginning to groom the white steed. It neighed in delight as she brushed its coat until it was shiny and it gently nuzzled her hand when she was finished. It using it's nose pushed her in the direction of Raye as if telling her to make amends. She shot it an annoyed look before reluctantly going over to her companions side.  
  
Raye was deep in thought about how to get payback when Sere stood next to her and didn't say anything it wasn't until then that she noticed just how close they were to the lake. "I know I've already…" the rest of what Sere said was blocked out as a devious thought entered the once demure girl's mind. 'It's so wrong' Raye thought, 'It's so evil!' She didn't know how long it was that she had been thinking about it but she did catch the last part of whatever Sere had been talking about.  
  
"So…are we okay?" An evil grin planted itself on Raye's face and with a shove she was once again by herself on the lake and laughing hard as Sere surfaced waving her arms around sputtering out water from her mouth. Raye smiled innocently and said,  
  
"Oh! Now we're even!"  
  
Sere looked up at her immensely pleased 'friend' stunned and without a second thought grabbed her leg and pulled Raye in with her.  
  
Raye broke through the water with a look of shock on her face and turned to see Sere once again giggling at her. Waving her arms from side to side she sent a wave of water at her companion and so the fight began. With both princesses sending large waves at each other while one tried to dunk the other and soaking each other to the bone. The white stallion gazed at the human girls in confusion but just shook his head. He'd never understand humans.  
  
The fight ended with both girls tired and drenched sitting around the fire that Sere built as they attempted to dry off. The fire and the warm air helped immensely. Raye noted that even with the 'washing' it had undergone the stains on her dress were still there. She glared at her hair that had somehow lost its curls and had reverted back to being straight once again. She blew a wet strand out of her eyes and glanced at her acquaintance. Even though they both looked like drowned rats she had to admit that her associate carried the look better than she did.  
  
Sere sat with her golden hair parted in her hands trying to wring the water out of it. She sighed after she had finished one part and moved onto the other. Moving her gaze to the fire Raye felt a warmth fill her that had never really been known. In the huge palace of her childhood and the little hovel that she shared with 7 little men she had never felt so comfortable or felt so free. Under her eyelashes she peeked at her companion…no her friend and Raye felt such undescribed happiness at that one word.  
  
In the palace she'd only known people who were either terrified of her Stepmother or pitied her. And with the dwarfs she had felt like more of a mother and a servant than a friend to them. Until this golden haired girl her only real friends were the birds she used to sing to. It was such a lonely existence…  
  
"Whatever it is let it go." Raye looked at Sere astonished. 'Can she read minds or something?'  
  
"What do you mean?" She watched as Sere rolled her eyes.  
  
"Whatever it is that has you in such deep thought and is depressing you, let it go." Seeing the bewildered look on Raye's face Sere decided to elaborate. "Is whatever your thinking have anything to do with your past?" Raye nodded. "Then stop thinking about it!" she exclaimed exasperated. "The past is over and done with! You can't change it so why live in it?"  
  
Raye could see the sense of her statement and was stilled by her companion's insightful declaration. It put a few things in perspective for her.  
  
"I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier." Sere looked at Raye confused at the reason for the apology and the apology itself until understanding settled over her features.  
  
"Oh! you mean the unexpected swim in the lake?" Sere waved her hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it! It was fun!" she exclaimed. Raye looked at her like she'd lost her mind.  
  
"I pushed into a lake!" Raye exclaimed.  
  
"And I pushed you off of a horse. Well not exactly pushed but you get the idea!" Raye looked like she was really questioning Sere's sanity.  
  
"And you're okay with this?!" 'This girl just gets more and more confusing!' Sere just shrugged and said, "Fair is fair!" Taking the last part of her hair she squeezed until she was sure she got as much of the water out as she could. She finally noted that Raye was still wearing her ugly dress. Without saying a word she got up and walked over to where the horse was bent down and picked up the clothes she had left out. Walking back over to the fire she plopped them next to Raye.  
  
"Change."  
  
Raye looked at the clothes and at her, but when she saw the look on Sere's face she headed for a nearby tree and changed out of her soaked outfit and into the one provided. A few moments later she stepped out in a pair of black pants that were large and looked a lot like the ones Sere wore and a red button down shirt that also hung off of her frame but not as much as it did for her companion. She fidgeted uncomfortably in the clothes and made a face when she saw Sere. She had always been taught that it was inappropriate for a young lady to dress in such a manner. Sere nodded approvingly.  
  
"You look great!"  
  
"I feel ridiculous!"  
  
"Hey it's better than being soaked isn't it?!"  
  
"Barely."  
  
  
  
"Stop complaining already! Besides it's better than that multicolored disaster you were wearing before!"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Sere ignored Raye's protests as she set out once again for the saddle bag and pulled out a map. Sitting by the fire Raye joined Sere and they set out a plan. They still didn't know where they were going but they would find the nearest town get some information and in Raye's words get some decent clothes before heading to nowhere.  
  
With a plan of action set and the balmy night air they in all seriousness and spoke to each other of their dreams and hopes. Raye of her hopes to truly find herself and Sere of her dream to be independent. With pasts buried both girls instead spoke of the trivial things of life and a relaxed atmosphere settled itself over the both of them. They found themselves enjoying each others company, once wit and sarcasm were put aside. The smell of the forests and the lake mingled to leave a scent that hung all around them and eventually lulled them to sleep. The fire slowly burned itself out and the two princesses slept peacefully side by side.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter of Happily Ever After…Right! ^_^  
  
You can all thank Miko633 for the quickness of this chapter and for reminding to get off my lazy ass and actually write another chapter! ^_^;;;  
  
If you want more you have to review!  
  
I haven't decided who comes next so…  
  
YOU DECIDE!  
  
That's right people you get to decide which inner senshi shows up in the next chapter of this fic!  
  
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


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